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I was raised extreme fundamentalist and lately have been teetering on the brink of atheism. Some days I feel like I believe and then for days on end I will feel completely atheist. Part of what led me here is that I can't subscribe to the narrow minded, dogmatic practices and beliefs of fundamentalism. Being raised with a fundamentalist worldview, the belief was that the Bible either is the Word of God or it isn't. Non-fundamentalist denominations, they say, are somewhat "cafeteria" Christians. They take only what they want and discard the rest. While the truth is more complicated than that, there are some things that non-fundamentalists do discard because it is no longer culturally acceptable.
For instance, the ban on homosexuality in the Bible has only been questioned by non-fundamentalist churches in the last 20 years as the culture has changed. While I agree with that culture change, something as important as doctrine, which can mean the difference between heaven and hell, shouldn't be subject to change because it becomes politically incorrect. Another thing is that if you want to see heaven as a fundamentalist, the rules you have to follow are almost impossible to keep and live a fulfilling life. They say it's by accepting Jesus, but if that's all it took, people would have no issues with accepting Christianity. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with accepting fundamentalism is the fact that science has proved so much of it wrong or not possible. I don't think the Bible was ever meant to be taken as literal history as the fundamentalists believe it to be.
However, how to non-fundamentalists decide what is binding and what isn't? To me, it seems like once you start picking and choosing, you can pick and choose your way out of being Christian at all and you become something more like a deist or Unitarian Universalist.
My thoughts are that being born from above or enlightened is as simple or complex as one wants to make it, but largely it is on Father's say so, as to the timing and ultimate expression of what it looks like, in the earth.
Some of the behaviours that might be manifested in folks who are moving toward enlightenment are: realisation that self / ego has to die in order to live, choosing to love, and in being / doing both of those take of the tree of life and without thinking about it one will naturally stop judging things as good and evil (the other tree), which is the ground for pride and hell.
MY concern is will fundamentalism be enough to get you to heaven?
The "once saved always saved doctrine" is false, and has been shown by various Hell testimonies.( even if they themselves are not biblical, according to fundamentalists)
I was raised extreme fundamentalist and lately have been teetering on the brink of atheism. Some days I feel like I believe and then for days on end I will feel completely atheist. Part of what led me here is that I can't subscribe to the narrow minded, dogmatic practices and beliefs of fundamentalism. Being raised with a fundamentalist worldview, the belief was that the Bible either is the Word of God or it isn't. Non-fundamentalist denominations, they say, are somewhat "cafeteria" Christians. They take only what they want and discard the rest. While the truth is more complicated than that, there are some things that non-fundamentalists do discard because it is no longer culturally acceptable.
For instance, the ban on homosexuality in the Bible has only been questioned by non-fundamentalist churches in the last 20 years as the culture has changed. While I agree with that culture change, something as important as doctrine, which can mean the difference between heaven and hell, shouldn't be subject to change because it becomes politically incorrect. Another thing is that if you want to see heaven as a fundamentalist, the rules you have to follow are almost impossible to keep and live a fulfilling life. They say it's by accepting Jesus, but if that's all it took, people would have no issues with accepting Christianity. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with accepting fundamentalism is the fact that science has proved so much of it wrong or not possible. I don't think the Bible was ever meant to be taken as literal history as the fundamentalists believe it to be.
However, how to non-fundamentalists decide what is binding and what isn't? To me, it seems like once you start picking and choosing, you can pick and choose your way out of being Christian at all and you become something more like a deist or Unitarian Universalist.
What are your thoughts on this?
I do agree with your last paragraph. I think all of us have differences of opinion or interpretation with some other Christians, even amongst those who also say they are 100% Bible Believers. That's just the limitations of the human mind and human understanding. We don't all understand everything the same way. This forum in particular reveals the incredible variety of interpretations and theologies that are out there.
Given you are going through a time of struggle the answer might be to focus less on what other people think about God and focus more on what God has told you about Himself. I think you might find it a relief to filter out all the noise and all the human opinions and just get back to the Word of God. You will find truth therein that surpasses anything that anyone here or elsewhere could tell you.
I was raised extreme fundamentalist and lately have been teetering on the brink of atheism. Some days I feel like I believe and then for days on end I will feel completely atheist. Part of what led me here is that I can't subscribe to the narrow minded, dogmatic practices and beliefs of fundamentalism. Being raised with a fundamentalist worldview, the belief was that the Bible either is the Word of God or it isn't. Non-fundamentalist denominations, they say, are somewhat "cafeteria" Christians. They take only what they want and discard the rest. While the truth is more complicated than that, there are some things that non-fundamentalists do discard because it is no longer culturally acceptable.
For instance, the ban on homosexuality in the Bible has only been questioned by non-fundamentalist churches in the last 20 years as the culture has changed. While I agree with that culture change, something as important as doctrine, which can mean the difference between heaven and hell, shouldn't be subject to change because it becomes politically incorrect. Another thing is that if you want to see heaven as a fundamentalist, the rules you have to follow are almost impossible to keep and live a fulfilling life. They say it's by accepting Jesus, but if that's all it took, people would have no issues with accepting Christianity. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with accepting fundamentalism is the fact that science has proved so much of it wrong or not possible. I don't think the Bible was ever meant to be taken as literal history as the fundamentalists believe it to be.
However, how to non-fundamentalists decide what is binding and what isn't? To me, it seems like once you start picking and choosing, you can pick and choose your way out of being Christian at all and you become something more like a deist or Unitarian Universalist.
What are your thoughts on this?
RESPONSE: Become reality oriented and follow the advice of St. Paul:
1 Thessalonians 5:21New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
I was raised extreme fundamentalist and lately have been teetering on the brink of atheism. Some days I feel like I believe and then for days on end I will feel completely atheist. Part of what led me here is that I can't subscribe to the narrow minded, dogmatic practices and beliefs of fundamentalism. Being raised with a fundamentalist worldview, the belief was that the Bible either is the Word of God or it isn't. Non-fundamentalist denominations, they say, are somewhat "cafeteria" Christians. They take only what they want and discard the rest. While the truth is more complicated than that, there are some things that non-fundamentalists do discard because it is no longer culturally acceptable.
For instance, the ban on homosexuality in the Bible has only been questioned by non-fundamentalist churches in the last 20 years as the culture has changed. While I agree with that culture change, something as important as doctrine, which can mean the difference between heaven and hell, shouldn't be subject to change because it becomes politically incorrect. Another thing is that if you want to see heaven as a fundamentalist, the rules you have to follow are almost impossible to keep and live a fulfilling life. They say it's by accepting Jesus, but if that's all it took, people would have no issues with accepting Christianity. Perhaps the biggest issue I have with accepting fundamentalism is the fact that science has proved so much of it wrong or not possible. I don't think the Bible was ever meant to be taken as literal history as the fundamentalists believe it to be.
However, how to non-fundamentalists decide what is binding and what isn't? To me, it seems like once you start picking and choosing, you can pick and choose your way out of being Christian at all and you become something more like a deist or Unitarian Universalist.
There came a time when I had to ask God to remove all the man made doctrines, interpretations and rules of denominations from my mind, heart and soul and to be my spiritual guide.
When I quit depending on man, books and various other man made denominations to help me seek the truth and asked the holy spirit of God to show me the truth, I finally found it was within me all the time.
It didn't happen overnight..It happened over time by these simple words from the bible I was led to at the beginning. "Be still, and know I am God"
Maybe you need to quit seeking mans religious wisdom at this time and seek Gods guidance first.
I don't know what the after life is or where, but I know it will be love..ly.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 04-19-2017 at 09:24 AM..
Of course- the criteria is very simple. Trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and repent. No denomination has a monopoly on heaven.
Plus one. Specially the bolded part.
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